


I'll Follow You Into The Dark

by wolfb0y



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst and Tragedy, College, Death, Drug Abuse, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, Drugs, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Hurt No Comfort, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Loss, Modern Era, Relationship(s), Romance, Smut, Suicide, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:20:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28122996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfb0y/pseuds/wolfb0y
Summary: If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks, then I'll follow you into the dark.
Relationships: Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss & Ymir, Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss/Ymir
Comments: 12
Kudos: 45





	1. i.

**Author's Note:**

> Historia Reiss meets a girl named Ymir, blissfully unaware of the fact that her life is about to be changed forever.

“Happy birthday, Sasha!” A chorus of voices sang in unison as they tapped their glasses together in a toast.

A few heads in the nightclub turned to look toward the group of college juniors, who constituted one of the rowdiest groups currently occupying the establishment. The group had only been there for an hour or two at most, but seeing as it was Sasha’s twenty first birthday, they were causing quite a ruckus. Almost as soon as they’d stepped into the club, Connie had dragged the birthday girl over to the bar and started ordering her drinks. Sasha, who had already been treated to a spectacular meat-filled dinner, was more than happy to go along with Connie’s antics. It hadn’t taken long for Sasha to get impressively drunk, but the group was now attempting to slow her roll considerably.

Now, they sat in a small lounge area and took a bit of a break. This nightclub was one that was unfamiliar to Historia, but she supposed there was a nice charm about it. It was old as all get-out, which was obvious from a single glance at the building’s chipped brick exterior. The inside was equally as mediocre. The leather booths and couches that were set up in the lounge area were worn and aged, a few of them even adorning tears of various sizes. There were stains on the carpet flooring and even the neon decor that lined the walls seemed well beyond its lifespan on account of its incessant flickering.

Regardless, this club was the one that was the closest to their campus. Not only that, but most of the people at Southern Division University claimed that a night out at the local club was like a rite of passage. The area surrounding the campus certainly wasn’t anything to write home about, much like the club that they were currently at. Historia didn’t go out often, but even if she did, she figured she would be hard pressed to find something interesting to do. The ancient nightclub was the only real entertainment available to college students that wasn’t a dingy bar or a house party or a drug of any sort. It was kind of exciting to be experiencing it, though Historia was pretty sure she wouldn’t be returning following tonight.

“Who stopped the drinks?” Sasha asked loudly, a hiccup punctuating her inquiry, “Let’s keep it going!”

“I think water might be the better option for now,” Armin said.

Connie snorted, “Whaddya mean? She’s fine! Look how much fun she’s having! Why don’t we order another round?”

“Pipe down, moron. You don’t want to give Sasha alcohol poisoning for her birthday, do you?” Jean piped up.

“Tch,” Connie rolled his eyes, “Yeah, yeah…”

Eren and Mikasa returned to the table with several glasses of water. They set them down, one in front of each of their friends, then took their seats once more. Sasha picked up her water and began to drink it fiendishly. When the contents of the glass were empty, she set it on the table and let out a small gasp before wiping at her mouth with the back of her wrist. The group laughed as another hiccup escaped her lips.

“Enjoying your birthday so far, Sasha?” Eren wanted to know.

Sasha gave a firm nod, “Y-Yeah! This is great!”

“We’re glad you’re having a good time,” Armin said with a smile.

“I’m having a g-great time! This has been so much fun!” Sasha’s words were still very slurred and Historia was just a tad worried about her friend.

“What a great way to kick off our junior year, don’t you think?” Connie chimed in.

“With a headache?” Jean remarked, to which Armin gave him a pleading look that earned a chuckle from the brunette.

“Maybe… Another glass o-of water,” Sasha mumbled as she rested her head against the table, “And I’ve gotta go to the bathroom.”

Historia got to her feet and moved over to the end of the couch where Sasha sat, gently closing a hand around her upper arm and attempting to lift her out of the seat, “Come on, then. Let’s go to the bathroom.”

Sasha let out a noisy groan as she was hoisted to her feet. Connie got up and assisted Historia in keeping their friend upright. Historia assured him that she had it under control and he backed away, taking his seat as she ushered her friend out of the lounge area. Sasha was rather wobbly on her feet as they navigated toward the bathroom. They ventured past the dance floor, narrowly avoiding getting knocked around by other patrons that were going in and out of the area. Historia squeaked out as she had to swing Sasha out of the way of a pair of particularly large men, both of whom stopped and stared at her.

“Need any help?” The blonde one asked, looking plenty capable of picking up Sasha and carrying her all the way to the bathroom on his own.

Historia shook her head, “No, I’ve got it! Thank you, though!”

With that, she carried on. She found herself grateful that she hadn’t had much to drink. Had she actually allowed herself to get drunk, she likely would’ve dropped Sasha by now. While her comfortable buzz was enough to produce a bit of difficulty in navigating Sasha from point A to point B, it wasn’t completely impossible. The bathroom was in sight now and Historia could feel the beginnings of a smile tugging at her lips at her little triumph. They arrived at the door and Historia clumsily pushed it open, nearly falling over as Sasha’s weight pressed into her the second that she stepped into the bathroom.

The scent of smoke was the first thing that Historia noticed upon entering the poorly lit room. It was potent, like someone was quite literally smoking in the girls’ room. Upon further inspection and getting the door to the bathroom shut, Historia found that there actually _was_ someone smoking in the girls’ room. A tall, olive-skinned girl with brown hair and eyes leaned against the countertop with a cigarette between her lips. There was a bored look on her face, as if she’d been dragged here unwillingly by a group of much-too-social friends. She lifted a brow at Historia, causing the smaller girl to avert her gaze and focus her attention back on ushering Sasha into a stall.

Despite having her back turned, Historia could feel the girl’s eyes burning holes in the back of her head. There was no doubt in her mind that she was staring. Historia couldn’t exactly blame her, given that watching her corral Sasha into a bathroom stall was undoubtedly quite the spectacle. It was still rather nerve-racking, though. After assisting Sasha in entering the stall, she closed the door and awkwardly turned around to glance at herself in the mirror. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the brunette’s gaze still fixed to her. Historia brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and looked elsewhere, hoping to prevent the situation from growing increasingly awkward.

“What do we have here?” The girl said before taking another drag from her cigarette and flicking what remained of it onto the floor, only to snuff it out with the toe of her boot.

Her voice was gravelly and commanding, grabbing Historia’s attention and refusing to let it go. There was an air of intensity to the girl that made the tiny hairs on the back of Historia’s neck stand on end. She carried herself with such certainty and assuredness, which only intimidated Historia further. Even the way that she was dressed—sporting a white t-shirt and a black leather jacket paired with some torn denim jeans—was intriguing. Historia was beginning to wonder why someone like her was even talking to someone like herself.

“This your idea of helping out your friend?” She asked, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jacket.

Historia’s eyes widened slightly, her brows lifting. What was she talking about? As far as Historia was concerned, she’d been helpful. She had brought Sasha here to go to the bathroom and she was doing exactly that. Historia could hear the hushed mumbling of Sasha as she attempted to take care of her business. Maybe Connie really _had_ tried to give the poor girl alcohol poisoning on her birthday.

“I-I just—“

The girl chuckled as she stepped in and placed a hand against the bathroom stall, trapping Historia between herself and the door. Only then did Historia get a better look at the girl’s features. She was breathtaking. In that moment, Historia was almost certain she’d never seen a more beautiful person in her life. Her face was on the angular side and her cheeks were dotted with dark brown freckles. Her eyes, though generally intimidating as she gazed at Historia, were the most magnificent and warm shade of brown that she’d ever seen. Historia felt her cheeks growing warm as she acknowledged the strong urge to slip away from the girl and flee the bathroom entirely.

Before Historia could even say anything, a loud thud echoed through the bathroom and the door against her back rattled noisily. Sasha groaned and Historia let out a small gasp. The girl nudged Historia aside and the blonde could only stand and watch as the stranger carefully opened the door to the stall. Sasha practically fell out, having been slumped against the door, but was caught in the girl’s arms before she could hit the ground. Another whine escaped her as she was hefted up to her feet, at which point the girl looked back to Historia.

“You gonna take her?” She started, “I’m not the one who’s gonna bring her home.”

It took her brain a second to catch up with her ears, but she gave a small nod and moved to accept Sasha into her arms. Her friend folded like a piece of paper against her, weighing her down and nearly causing her to fall backwards. The stranger laughed as she watched Historia struggle to keep both herself and Sasha upright. Historia couldn’t help thinking that for someone so nice to look at, she sure was rather unpleasant. With a bit of effort, though, she was able to navigate Sasha over to the countertop. She washed her hands for her and dried them off before moving to assist her out of the bathroom.

“You’re really gonna resign yourself to babysitting all night because your friend can’t handle her alcohol?”

Historia’s brow furrowed slightly as she turned to look at the girl and asked, “Who are you, again?”

“I never told you my name,” She replied with a sort of half-smirk, “But since you’re asking, it’s Ymir.”

“Okay, _Ymir_.” Historia said, a hint of frustration seeping into her voice, “Can you please open the door for me?”

“I guess I can. But you never answered my question.” Ymir said as she closed her fingers around the door handle, not yet opening it for Historia and Sasha.

Historia let out a sigh, “What question?”

“I asked you if you’re really gonna waste your entire night looking after your little friend. It isn’t your fault she drank herself into a stupor, is it?”

“It isn’t anyone’s fault,” Historia corrected her, “We came here to have a good time and as long as she had fun, I don’t mind helping her out.”

“Is this your attempt at being nice or something?” Ymir asked.

Historia looked to her, “What would you know about being nice? You’ve been nothing but rude since I walked in here.”

Ymir’s eyes widened slightly. She almost appeared surprised at Historia’s words, as if she hadn’t known that she was being so unpleasant. Her jaw flexed as she opened the door for the girls without saying another word. Historia awkwardly began to drag Sasha out of the bathroom before Mikasa appeared in the hallway.

“You two were taking a long time, so I decided to come make sure everything was alright.” Mikasa said.

Mikasa took one of Sasha’s arms and draped it over her own shoulders, hooking an arm around her waist and shouldering most of her weight. Historia did what she could to help, though it wasn’t much. Mikasa was far stronger than she was. It mostly felt like the dark-haired girl was toting Sasha all the way back to the table while Historia lingered by her side. She glanced over her shoulder in the direction of the bathroom and saw Ymir walking over to the bar, already having returned to her disinterested demeanor. Her face was devoid of any expression beyond the bored look she’d been wearing on her face when Historia had first seen her. Ymir stopped at the countertop beside the two boys that had previously asked Historia if she’d needed help. They were friends? Historia was mildly surprised that people who were more approachable than Ymir were hanging around her, though she supposed that maybe the girl wasn’t all that great in the way of first impressions.

“You seem distracted.” Mikasa remarked, her voice just barely audible over the noisy bass in the club.

“Do I?” Historia forced a laugh, “I think my head is still a bit fuzzy…”

“We’ll have to get you some more water when we get back to the lounge, then.”

“Oh, I can grab some right now!” Historia offered, not wanting to be a burden.

“Alright,” Mikasa said, “I’ll make sure Sasha gets back. Be careful.”

Historia slipped away as Mikasa carried Sasha back to the table, moving noticeably faster without her assistance. The blonde headed over to the bar and waited patiently for the bartender to finish his task at hand. As she waited, she drummed her fingers atop the counter and looked over at the dance floor. Historia was content to watch the strangers dancing and laughing with one another, enjoying their evening. It was entertaining and, truthfully, it made her happy to see the smiling faces of others. That sort of energy was always infectious.

“Can I buy you a drink?” A voice said from beside her.

She turned her head to see Ymir, blinking in surprise. The tall girl had one elbow resting against the countertop, leaning against it in a nonchalant and cool fashion. Sure, she hadn’t proven to be all that pleasant… But she sure was cool. The blonde gave a small nod and Ymir _smiled_. The corners of her mouth turned upward and her eyes almost seemed to sparkle with satisfaction. Without giving the bartender time to wrap up his current drink prep, Ymir flagged him down and ordered a screwdriver and a glass of rum. Historia briefly considered pointing out her lack of manners, but decided against it as the brunette plopped herself down in the seat beside Historia and rested her chin atop her palm.

“What’s your name?” She asked.

“Krista.” Historia replied.

Ymir’s expression appeared to flicker to one of thoughtfulness for a second before she was back to looking half-detached from the conversation altogether, “Krista, huh? That’s a nice name.”

“Thank you,” She said as she finally sat herself down on the stool next to Ymir’s.

“You go to SDU, right? Don’t think I’ve seen you around before. I’d remember that face.”

Historia could feel a bit of blush creeping into her cheeks. Was Ymir flirting with her? Maybe there were sides to this person that weren’t just rude and prickly… Or maybe she was misinterpreting altogether. Historia fidgeted with her hands in her lap as she lowered her eyes to the hem of her skirt, avoiding the intense gaze of the other girl.

“I just transferred here for my junior year,” Historia answered, “I moved in just before the start of summer courses and that’s how I met my friends.”

“The drunk?” Ymir smirked.

“No, no. It’s her birthday tonight and this is her first time drinking. We might’ve overdone it just a bit…”

Ymir laughed, “That’s great… I take it you guys don’t come here much, then.”

“This is my first time being here, actually.” Historia said, “It’s fun, though! It’s charming in its own right. I like the energy, too!”

“It’s alright,” Ymir somewhat agreed, “I prefer the parties.”

“I haven’t been to any yet, but hopefully that will change once the fall semester starts! I want to go to at least one,” She told Ymir.

Ymir nodded, about to reply when the bartender slid their drinks across the counter. The brunette handed Historia’s drink to her before taking a sizable swig from her own glass, leaving roughly half of the liquid remaining. Historia took a sip of the screwdriver and placed it back onto the counter top, the tang of orange juice and vodka lingering on her tongue.

“I could take you to one, you know. It’s best to go with someone who knows their way around.” The brunette offered, absentmindedly tracing a fingertip around the rim of her glass.

Historia almost allowed herself to demonstrate excitement, but she withheld her outward reaction in favor of poking a little fun at the girl who had done so to her earlier. Attempting to maintain her composure so as not to give Ymir any clue how she’d respond, she cleared her throat and cocked her head ever so slightly to the side.

“Is this your attempt at being nice or something?” She echoed the very words that Ymir had said to her in the bathroom no more than twenty minutes ago.

It took Ymir a second, but her eyebrows lifted and her eyes widened somewhat. A shit-eating grin found purchase on her lips and she folded her arms over her chest, leaning back a bit on her seat. Historia felt pride bubbling in her chest at the fact that she’d been able to make someone like Ymir smile. Her smile was really nice. Historia was glad that she got to see it.

“I like you, Krista.” Ymir told her, threatening to make her cheeks turn bright red, “Anyway… If you want to think of it as me being nice, then sure.”

Historia smiled, taking another drink before she replied, “How about I give you my number?”

Ymir seemed to pause for a second, catching up with her own brain before she gave a nod, “Yeah, alright.”

She fished into her pocket and retrieved her phone. It was without a case and had a few cracks on the screen, obviously not the best taken care of. Historia briefly wondered what kind of things Ymir got up to that resulted in her cracking her phone so badly, unless she was really just that clumsy. With the way things were going, she figured eventually she’d come to know. Maybe tonight would mark the start of a promising friendship… Or maybe even—

“Here,” Ymir said plainly as she handed her phone to Historia, “Put your number in.”

Historia nodded and typed out the digits to her phone number, saving it to the contact titled ‘Krista’. The girl wanted to sigh at the sight of her alias, but refrained from doing so, opting to hand the cellphone back to Ymir with a cheerful smile. Ymir briefly looked at the contact before locking her phone and sticking it back into her pocket. As they finished their drinks, they carried on talking into the night. Historia couldn’t help but pay gross amounts of attention to Ymir’s lips as she spoke, finding herself remarkably invested in everything that she had to say. She asked Ymir question after question in an attempt to find out more about the girl who, for whatever reason, she thought was quite fascinating.

It was right when Ymir attempted to ask a question of her own that Armin approached them, interrupting their conversation as he handed Historia’s little purse to her and said, “There you are, Krista! We were wondering if you’d ever come back. Sasha’s getting pretty sleepy, so we’re going to head back. Are you coming with?”

Historia briefly shared a look with Ymir, who then went back to sizing up Armin. The blonde boy shifted awkwardly before them, clearly uncomfortable beneath the brunette’s gaze. Ymir finished off her third drink and gave a dismissive wave of her hand.

“It’s getting pretty late, you should probably head back with your friends,” She told her.

“O-Okay!” Historia nodded, “Sure. Armin, will you let the others know that I’ll be there in a moment?”

Armin nodded and returned to the group in the lounge area. Historia brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she got to her feet and began sifting through her handbag. After successfully locating her wallet, she opened it up and counted out a few bills.

“How much do I owe you for the drinks?”

Ymir shook her head, “Not a dime.”

“A-Are you sure? I really don’t mind.” Historia told her.

“Yeah,” Ymir answered as she rose from her seat and placed her hands in the pockets of her jacket, “Now get out of here before your friends get worked up again.”

Historia couldn’t help but giggle, earning a half-smile from the taller girl. Without thinking, she stepped forward and threw her arms around the stranger’s waist, squeezing her gently in a brief hug. Though it was only for a moment, Historia could feel the way that Ymir’s body went rigid. Maybe she’d surprised her or maybe she just didn’t like hugs. Either way, it was enough for Historia to nervously pull away and look up to the girl with pink-tinged cheeks.

“Thank you. I’ll see you again soon!” She spoke quickly before she turned on her heel and hurried back toward her friends.

Truthfully, Historia didn’t _know_ if she’d actually see Ymir again soon. All she was left to do was hope that she would.


	2. ii.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for all the positive feedback on chapter one! here's chapter two, i hope you enjoy!

Historia and her friends sat on the grass in front of their dormitory hall, enjoying one another’s company and the last of July’s warm afternoons. Although they had celebrated Sasha’s birthday a few days ago, the group had decided to officially close out the last day of the month with a relaxed get-together. Jean and Armin had prepared enough food for all of them and they’d eaten every crumb remarkably fast. Connie even brought along some of his mom’s homemade pie, which she’d been kind enough to make for the group of college students. With their bellies full and their spirits high, the friends sprawled out on their picnic blankets and relished in the warmth of the sun.

Sasha and Connie, who always seemed to have boundless energy, were still on their feet. They tossed a frisbee around and made a ruckus in doing so. Historia smiled at the noise that they created, their laughter and occasional quarrels over bad frisbee tosses filling her with a sense of gratitude. Prior to transferring to Southern Division University and beginning her classes, Historia had been worried that she wouldn’t be able to make friends very easily. She didn’t consider herself an introvert, really, though she didn’t consider herself much of an extrovert either.

Historia had always landed somewhere in the middle. Talking to people came easily, but initiating conversation wasn’t something that she was particularly fond of. That was why she had taken the opportunity to provide Ymir with her number. If Ymir had offered up her number, Historia wouldn’t have known what to do with it. How was she supposed to start a conversation with the intimidating brunette? She’d barely been able to keep up during that night at the club. The girl had so easily sidled up to her and started a conversation at the bar, even their first encounter in the bathroom had come to her so easily. Historia had been thinking about it more than she was willing to admit. There was something about Ymir that just made her want to know more.

For the most part, she’d chalked it up to the fact that she couldn’t anticipate what the girl was going to say or do. That was what made her exciting to interact with. Well, that, and Historia loved getting to know people. She had always been told she was a good listener and, though she’d never agree when others told her that out loud, she knew it to be true. One of her favorite things to do when she met new people was listen. It was how she’d gotten to know everyone here so quickly, why she’d ended up with friends despite the fear that, for whatever reason, she wouldn’t.

Historia loved her friends, too. They were great. Over the past couple of months, they’d gotten to spend a lot of time together and she’d warmed up to them practically overnight. Perhaps that was another reason why Ymir was so interesting to her. On the night that they’d met, Historia hadn’t gotten to know much about her beyond her name and the fact that she worked at a local hardware store. They’d briefly touched on classes at SDU, but Historia realized that she hadn’t even asked about her major.

It had been five days since Sasha’s birthday celebration and Historia hadn’t heard anything from Ymir. She hadn’t seen her around campus nor town and her phone hadn’t received any texts from an unidentified number. Maybe Ymir had only humored her when she’d accepted her number. She’d said she liked her, but Historia didn’t know how true that was. The blonde’s eyebrows knitted closer together as she stared up at the sky, resting on her back with her hands on her stomach. There were hardly any clouds above and it was a beautiful day.

“You seem distracted.”

Mikasa’s voice caused Historia to turn her head toward the dark-haired girl. Nothing got past her, that was for certain. If Historia had come to know any one thing about Mikasa, it was that. While she didn’t speak much at all, Mikasa seemed to have a read on people unlike anything Historia had ever seen. It was like she could see right into your very soul and read your mind. The blonde pushed herself up onto her elbows and gave a small chuckle.

“I’ve just been thinking, that’s all.” Historia told her.

Mikasa gave a small hum, happy to leave it at that, but Jean had caught the tail end of their exchange and invited himself into the conversation. He sat down on the picnic blanket and pulled his knees in toward his chest, propping his elbows atop them.

“What about?” Jean wanted to know.

Now Mikasa’s interest was piqued again. Historia supposed it couldn’t be all that bad if she let them know about the girl she’d met at the club at how she was waiting on a text message from her. Sure, she might sound a little bit weird for getting hung up on such a thing, but she supposed that talking about it might ease her anxiety a bit. Talking about things was always supposed to help.

“I met this girl at the nightclub on Sasha’s birthday and she seemed really cool! I gave her my number so that we could hang out again and stay in touch, but I haven’t heard anything… It’s nearly been a week.”

Jean lifted a brow, “A girl, huh?”

Historia supposed that maybe Jean was surprised by her admission that she’d met a girl and, from the sound of it, was _interested_ in her. It always perplexed her why people automatically assumed that she was straight. Historia didn’t feel particularly strongly when it came to one gender over the other. She liked who she liked and she was interested in who she was interested. It just so happened that _maybe_ she was interested in Ymir, a girl.

“Yes,” Historia said, looking down at her hands and feeling a small blush tinge her cheeks at the acknowledgement that her fascination with Ymir was likely coupled with attraction.

“What is she like?” Mikasa asked.

“Well, when I first ran into her, she was kind of rude… But once we talked some more, she was actually nice! She was even funny, too!” She informed them, a fond smile on her face as she recalled the interactions she’d had with Ymir.

“She sounds nice enough,” Mikasa said plainly.

“What’s her name?” Jean inquired.

“Ymir!” Historia chirped.

It was like the entire courtyard went quiet. Jean blinked hard and Mikasa cleared her throat softly. From across the sprawl of grass, the _thunk_ of plastic colliding with Connie’s head echoed through the area. Even Eren and Armin, who had been talking from their seats atop two of the coolers that they’d hauled out from the dormitory hall, were now staring in Historia’s direction. Her cheeks burned as Sasha came running up to the picnic blanket. Connie ambled after her, rubbing at his forehead with the frisbee clutched in his other hand.

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I’m almost a hundred percent sure I just heard Krista say that she was talking to Ymir!” Sasha announced

“That’s because she did,” Jean sighed as he sat up straight, “Don’t tell me you’re actually considering going on a date with her.”

“W-What would be wrong with that?” Historia asked, the burning sensation in her cheeks now migrating all the way up to her ears.

Sasha sat down on the picnic blanket, which had limited enough space as it was, and answered, “Ymir is bad news.”

“What do you mean?”

“She means unless you want to get caught up in a whole lot of crap, you should probably avoid Ymir like the plague.” Connie chimed in.

Historia could feel herself beginning to grow frustrated with how vague her friends were being. Why weren’t they just telling her what was so bad about Ymir? Maybe they were talking about two different people. There was no way they were referring to the same person, right? That Ymir at the bar had been nothing but a pleasure to talk to.

“Ymir isn’t _all_ awful.” Eren said, receiving a scowl from Jean and continuing on, “What? She isn’t. You should actually talk to her sometime. You might be surprised.”

“You’re joking, right?” Jean scoffed.

“I’m sure Ymir is plenty nice when she wants to be, but that doesn’t change the fact that she’s most definitely someone you don’t want to be involved with, Krista.” Armin spoke up before Eren and Jean could get into an argument with one another and derail the conversation.

“Can someone tell me what she gets up to that’s so bad? You’re all being so… So…” Historia trailed off as she tried to find the right words.

“Ymir is an addict.” Mikasa answered, “At least, that’s what everyone says.”

“Who is ‘everyone’?”

“Everyone around campus,” Connie started, “Ever since freshman year people’ve been saying that Ymir has a serious drug problem. That and she sells the stuff.”

“She pals around with a bunch of shady people, too.” Jean added.

Eren rolled his eyes and cut in, “Have you guys even talked to Reiner and them? They’re not bad people.”

Before Jean could seize another opportunity to pick a fight, Armin was speaking again, “Annie is a good person. Bertholdt is nice. Reiner seems like a great guy. I think that it’s because none of them are as far gone as Ymir, though.”

“What do you mean ‘far gone’?” Historia asked, “She seemed perfectly functional at the bar! Maybe things changed over the summer! Maybe she cleaned up if she was addicted to something, but it sounds like that’s just a rumor! Why would you guys believe something like that so easily?”

The courtyard was quiet again as Historia’s eyes flickered from face to face within her group of friends. Armin appeared almost ashamed of what he’d said, while Eren looked irritated as he sat beside him. Jean’s expression was somewhere between concern and regret. Mikasa’s face was as devoid of any emotion as per usual, while Connie and Sasha shared the same look of uncertainty. The once happy and upbeat energy that permeated the air around them had morphed into tension so thick and suffocating that it couldn’t have been cut with even the sharpest of knives.

“Just be careful, alright?” Jean finally spoke after a long pause.

Historia gathered her handbag and pushed herself onto her feet before telling her friends, “I think I’m going to go back to my dorm for now. Thank you for the food. This was fun.”

_Until it wasn’t_.

* * *

Later that evening, Historia was returning to her single dorm following a hot shower when her phone went off. The blonde hurried over to her nightstand and picked it up, looking at the notification and feeling her heart skip a beat inside of her chest. The string of digits wasn’t one that she was familiar with. It had to be Ymir’s number. Frantically, she unlocked her phone and draped her towel on the hook that was situated on her closet door. Historia idled in the middle of her dormitory while she added Ymir as a contact before thumbing over to her messages to read the text.

**Ymir - 7:53 PM**

Hey you. What’s up?

Historia flopped onto her mattress, her legs dangling over the side of the bed as she tried to formulate her response. Was she supposed to play it casual? Was she supposed to wait a few minutes before she replied? Historia’s mind was racing over something as insignificant as a text message. The blonde chewed on her bottom lip as she finally forced her thumbs to string together a response.

**Krista - 7:55 PM**

Hi! :) Nothing much. What about you?

**Ymir - 7:56 PM**

Was about to go for some ice cream. Wanna come?

Historia could only lie there for a minute as she thought about what her friends had said earlier. They’d been so averse to her hanging out with Ymir, painting her as some kind of hazard. That very same hazard that her friends swore up and down was _so_ dangerous was now inviting her to go for ice cream. Historia almost laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. She was a grown woman and she could make her own decisions, including who she wanted to spend time with. She wanted to spend time with Ymir and, apparently, Ymir wanted to spend time with her.

**Krista - 7:56 PM**

I’d love to!

**Ymir - 7:57 PM**

Great. Send me your location. I’ll pick you up.

She did as Ymir instructed, replying with her current location and frantically moving over toward her closet. Historia stripped out of her nightgown and changed into some actual clothes. After donning a pair of high-waisted jeans and a white blouse, Historia stepped into her black flats and hurriedly plugged her hairdryer in. She spent the next few minutes drying her hair as quickly as possible, finishing mere seconds before her phone dinged from its place atop her nightstand.

**Ymir - 8:13 PM**

Outside.

The single word text was enough to make Historia smile from ear to ear. She unplugged her hairdryer and fetched her handbag off of her bedpost, leaving her dorm room and heading downstairs. After a brief ride on the elevator from the third floor to the first, she made her way out of the building and went in the direction of the nearest parking lot. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she drew nearer to where she suspected Ymir was waiting for her. After she rounded the final bend just before the parking lot, she saw her standing there.

The tall brunette was leaning against the front of her light blue 1983 Ford Ranger, her arms folded comfortably in front of her chest. She was clad in a black and red flannel, which had been paired with a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans similar to those that she’d worn at the nightclub. Ymir looked effortlessly cool as she waited there, a smile sprawling across her lips as she noticed Historia approaching. The blonde waved excitedly at her and Ymir waved back, pushing off of her truck and standing upright as Historia walked up to her.

“Hey, you!” Historia said.

“Long time no see, huh?” Ymir replied, “Sorry I didn’t text you. The last few days’ve been pretty chaotic. Been working a lot.”

“That’s alright, I completely understand!” Historia reassured her.

“I’ll buy you some ice cream to make up for it, yeah?”

Historia shook her head as she reminded her, “You paid for my drinks at the club! The least I can do is cover this.”

“We’ll see.” Was all Ymir said in reply, smirking as she pulled open the passenger door for Historia.

The tiny blonde hoisted herself up into the truck, plopping down in the seat and looking around the interior of the car. There were several little indicators that this was indeed Ymir’s car, like the pack of Newports sitting in the cupholder and the polaroid photographs of her and the boys from the club that were stuck on the outsides of her sun visors. Historia smiled as she looked at them, only peeling her eyes away when Ymir opened the door and got settled in the driver’s seat.

“Sorry for the mess,” She said, “It’s not usually this dirty in here, I swear.”

“Oh, it isn’t even bad. Don’t be silly.” Historia told her.

Ymir started up the truck and pulled out of the parking spot as she sparked further conversation, “So, how is it living in the dorms? You get along with your roommate?”

“Actually, I don’t have a roommate! I was able to get a single dorm. I like living there. It’s nice to have some privacy, but I don’t think I’d mind having a roommate all that much.”

“A single dorm during your first year at SDU? That’s pretty impressive. You must’ve pulled some serious strings, huh?” Ymir asked, clearly impressed.

“No, nothing like that,” Historia was quick to reply, “I think I just got lucky.”

“I would’ve killed for a single dorm during my first year at SDU, but I guess my luck wasn’t all bad.”

“What was your roommate like?”

“We got along just fine, even became friends sorta. She introduced me to my current friends, Reiner and Bertholdt.” Ymir informed her, “I can’t complain too much.”

“Those are the people in the pictures, right?” Historia asked.

Ymir grinned and her smile was audible in her voice as she spoke, “Yeah, that’s them. Reiner’s the burly blonde, Bertholdt’s the tall one, ‘nd Annie’s the other blonde.”

“What about this other girl?” Historia questioned as she looked at another photograph that featured a girl with short, pale brown hair.

“Oh, her? That’s Hitch, she’s… Well, she’s Annie’s friend, kinda.” Ymir punctuated her response with a laugh.

“Kind of?”

Ymir gave a nod, “Yeah. It’s complicated, but not really my story to tell. Maybe sometime soon you can hang out with me and Annie and the guys.”

Historia’s heart fluttered in her chest at the idea of there already being a “next time” lined up. There was no doubt in her mind that Ymir’s friends were every bit as pleasant as she thought they’d be. The boys had already seemed kind enough that night at the club, she figured that this Annie girl had to be similar. Historia already couldn’t wait to meet them, whenever that was. But for now, she was more than happy to focus all of her attention into spending time with Ymir.

The pair made comfortable chit-chat while Ymir drove them to their destination. After about ten minutes, they arrived at a small ice cream shop in the center of town. The fluorescent lights inside of the store were shining brightly, painting the sidewalk beyond the windows in their light and aiding the streetlights in the area in casting out the shadows. People were spaced out along the street, occupying benches and talking to one another. It was a cool July evening and it seemed that everyone was more than happy to take advantage of it.

Ymir got out of the car and Historia followed suit. She stepped up onto the patterned brick sidewalk and took in a breath of fresh air. It was nice to be a good distance away from the campus, away from the tension that had continued to linger after Historia’s exchange with her friends. Ymir was a welcome distraction and Historia was looking forward to getting to know her better. Even their conversation during the drive over here had provided her with more insight regarding the type of person Ymir was.

The brunette pulled the door to the ice cream shop open and they went inside, the little jingle of a bell above the doorway signaling their entry. The sweet scent of various sugary toppings wafted beneath Historia’s nose and filled her with nostalgia. For a brief minute, she thought fondly of afternoons spent with Frieda which almost always ended in a trip for ice cream. Ymir ordered three scoops of ice cream on a cone, each scoop a different flavor; One scoop of rocky road, one scoop of cake batter, and one scoop of cookie dough. Historia requested two scoops of vanilla in a cup topped with sprinkles and a single cherry.

After Ymir playfully teased her for her bland choice, they got their ice creams and, begrudgingly, Historia allowed Ymir to cover the cost. The pair left the store and sat down on one of the benches outside, digging into their treats. Historia couldn’t help but feel like this was the perfect end to her day. The incessant hum of the cicadas was just barely masked by the music that played quietly on the small speakers outside of the ice cream shop. Historia ate her ice cream thoughtfully, watching as the occasional car passed. Ymir practically inhaled each of her scoops and was working on her cone by the time that Historia had eaten half of her first scoop.

“Saw you zone out for a minute there in the shop,” Ymir started as she swallowed the last portion of her waffle cone, “You doing alright?”

Historia finished her current spoonful of ice cream before answering, “Oh, yeah! It just reminded me of when I was a kid.”

“Cute. Fond memories?”

“Definitely,” She replied with a smile, “I didn’t know this shop was here. I’ll have to take my friends sometime.”

The blonde’s expression fell as she thought back on the day. The afternoon had been going so well before she’d gone and opened her mouth. It was a curse being as expressive as she was. Historia had a difficult time masking her emotions, which made it even harder to be around Mikasa, who could see through anyone. Maybe if she’d just stayed in her dorm to begin with, things would’ve gone differently.

“Krista?”

Ymir’s voice brought Historia back to the present. She blinked, peeling her gaze away from her gradually melting ice cream and fixing her attention to Ymir. Historia offered a slight smile, her cheeks dusted a subtle shade of pink from embarrassment. Had she really zoned out again? This was supposed to be a distraction from what had happened today. Why couldn’t she keep her head on straight?

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sorry.” Historia said, poking at her ice cream with her spoon, “I think I’m a bit more tired than I thought.”

“I get you. I won’t keep you much longer, then.” Ymir responded understandingly.

_Wait, that wasn’t what I meant_.

Historia ate another spoonful of ice cream and Ymir leaned back on the bench. She draped her long arms over the back of the seat and looked up toward the sky. The silence that settled between them was undeniably comfortable. Historia was surprised at just how easy it was being around Ymir now in comparison to the first time they’d interacted.

“That reminds me,” Ymir began again, “Remember at the club when you mentioned you wanted to go to one of the parties around here?”

“Mmhmm,” Historia hummed her reply with a mouthful of vanilla ice cream.

“One of our friends is throwing a party next weekend. I wanted to extend the invite. You can even bring your friends along, if you want.”

“R-Really?”

“Yeah, absolutely.”

The blonde perked up considerably, her eyes as wide as saucers at the prospect of attending her first real college party. Back at her old university, she’d never been allowed to attend such functions. She had lived at home for both years that she was attending and despite the fact that she’d made some good friends, she hadn’t exactly gotten to do much with them under her father’s watchful eye. Historia was so glad she’d transferred to SDU and moved away from home, so glad she’d met Ymir, so glad she was finally going to _truly_ experience college.

However, it wasn’t quite right. Things with her friends weren’t quite right and because of that, things with Ymir couldn’t be quite right. They wouldn’t be quite right until she addressed the elephant in the room that only she could see. Historia set her ice cream cup on the bench beside her and looked to Ymir, unable to keep the hints of worry from creeping into her expression. Ymir noticeably tensed up a bit, straightening her posture ever so slightly.

“Krista? Are you sure everything’s okay?” She asked.

“Would it be okay if I asked you something?” Historia answered with a question of her own.

“Have at it.”

“My friends told me that you’re involved in some bad things. They told me I should stay away from you. Is what they said true?”

Ymir shifted on the bench again, leaning forward and placing her elbows on her knees. She clasped her hands together and let out a bit of a laugh as she attempted to find her words. Historia waited patiently for her response, reluctantly taking note of the anxiety that continued to mount within her as every second that Ymir hadn’t answered ticked by. It was a simple question. Why hadn’t she answered?

“Guess there really is no use running from the past, huh?”

The brunette sat up straight and ran a hand through her hair as she exhaled through her mouth. She turned to look at Historia, her pretty brown eyes prompting a feeling of warmth to swell inside of the blonde’s chest. Ymir chewed on the inside of her cheek as she once again searched for the right words.

Finally, she spoke again, “I had a pretty rough first two years here. I fell in with the wrong crowd and I did get involved in some shady shit. Things are different now, though. I have a job and I’m actually applying myself at school. I’ve been doing a hell of a lot better. I’ve been living for myself.”

Historia couldn’t help but smile as she breathed, “That’s great news, Ymir. I’m so glad to hear that you’re doing better.”

“Yeah. Your friends weren’t too far off the mark, I guess.”

A slight frown had made its home on Ymir’s lips. The corners of her mouth were turned downward and her eyes had moved away from Historia in favor of staring at the ground. It was clear that the conversation hadn’t been one that Ymir was anticipating having. In truth, Historia hadn’t quite expected to have it either. She was glad that it was out of the way, though. Now that they’d gotten past that, things could get back on track to being enjoyable and relaxed.

“Please don’t let it bother you,” She told Ymir, “I know better than to take what others say at face value, but I did want to talk to you about it just to be sure. I want them to know you’re not that type of person! I want to put a stop to those rumors.”

“Thanks, Krista. You’re sweet.”

Ymir’s reply made Historia’s cheeks turn red. The smaller girl’s fingers moved to her hair as she fidgeted with it before remembering that she hadn’t yet finished her ice cream. She reached for the cup and began working on the last remaining scoop of her dessert, not particularly bothered by how melted it had gotten. Historia was happy to move the conversation to something a little less heavy, opting to inquire about Ymir’s major instead. It turned out she was an astronomy major, which Historia never would’ve guessed.

“I’ve liked astronomy since I was a kid.” Ymir said with a sort of fondness, “Something about space and how insignificant it makes everything here on earth feel... It’s comforting.”

“I guess in a terrifying sort of way it could be comforting,” Historia added thoughtfully.

Ymir laughed and Historia felt the beginnings of blush creeping into her cheeks again. Her laugh was so throaty and genuine. It was a sound that Historia was quickly growing fond of. She was about to playfully poke at the taller girl to tell her to stop laughing at her, but instead she nearly jumped ten feet off of the bench at the sound of a deep male voice.

“Ymir!”

The way that Ymir’s face lit up was sweeter than the ice cream Historia had been working on. Excitement overtook her features and Ymir was on her feet in the blink of an eye, throwing an arm around a boy that Historia could only assume was Reiner. A boy who she figured was Bertholdt stood beside them, laughing at the antics of his two friends. When they were done greeting each other like excited dogs, Ymir turned to Historia, who had just shoveled another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.

“Th-That’s the cute girl from the club!” Reiner gawked, “Bertholdt, remember?”

Historia pulled the spoon from her mouth and attempted not to giggle from embarrassment. She swallowed the final bit of her ice cream and watched as Ymir’s facial expression flickered through a few different emotions before settling on a smug grin. The brunette stepped forward and kneeled down, putting herself nearly eye-to-eye with Historia. She extended a hand, swiping gently at Historia’s bottom lip with her thumb. Historia was frozen where she sat as Ymir pulled her hand away, revealing a single pink sprinkle that was now stuck to her thumb.

“You had a little something on your lip,” Ymir told her as she rose to her feet and brought her thumb to her mouth.

From her spot on the bench, Historia thought she might explode as she watched Ymir take her thumb between her lips. When she pulled the digit out of her mouth, the pink sprinkle was gone. Ymir’s tongue slipped past her lips to reveal the sprinkle before she took it back into her mouth and winked at Historia. Beside Ymir, Reiner appeared to have stopped functioning entirely. Bertholdt placed a hand on his shoulder as he looked to Historia.

“I’m Bertholdt.” He introduced himself, “This is Reiner. Are you a friend of Ymir’s?”

Historia couldn’t properly form words following what had just occurred. Instead, she looked to Ymir, as if desperate for the other girl to clarify. The taller girl stuffed her hands into her pockets and gave a small shrug of her shoulders.

“Something like that… What’re you guys doing out here?”

“Reiner and I were going to stop by the convenience store at the end of the street for some hot dogs. Do you guys want to tag along?” Bertholdt offered.

Ymir shook her head, “Nah, I’ve gotta get Krista here back to her dorm. She’s had a long day.”

“Maybe next time,” Bertholdt said, “Now, c’mon, Reiner. I’m starving.”

Bertholdt tugged Reiner along the sidewalk as Ymir snickered. The burly blonde muttered to himself, the noise only fading when the boys had disappeared from earshot. Ymir extended a hand to Historia and gently pulled her up and off of the bench. The pair walked back to Ymir’s truck and got in, heading back to the SDU campus as Historia picked up their conversation from earlier.

“Do you have a telescope?” Historia wanted to know, “To look at the stars and planets and things.”

“I don’t. They’re ridiculously expensive, even for the lower end ones.”

“Have you ever had one?”

“Nope. Maybe someday I will, though.”

“I’m sure one day you’ll have a telescope that puts all the other astronomy majors to shame,” Historia remarked, earning a soft laugh from Ymir.

“We’ll see.”

The remainder of the drive back to Historia’s dormitory was filled with chatter about her own major. As a child development major, she got to do quite a bit of work with kids. This left her with a copious supply of entertaining stories involving the kids that she’d had the opportunity to spend time with. Historia had Ymir laughing with some of her stories, which filled her with a sense of pride. By the time they got back to the parking lot outside her dormitory hall, Ymir was wiping at her eyes and shaking her head. She put the truck into park and looked to Historia with a genuine smile on her face.

“I had a really good time with you tonight.” She told her.

“I had a good time, too. Thank you for inviting me to come with you,” Historia responded.

“Of course. Maybe we can do it again sometime.” Ymir suggested, “I’ll let you know more about that upcoming party, too.”

“Okay,” Historia said with a grin as she pushed the door open, “I’ll see you soon, Ymir!”

Before she shut the door, she heard Ymir say, “I’ll see you soon, Krista.”

This time, she headed back to her dormitory with an unshakable degree of certainty that she _would,_ in fact, see Ymir again soon.


	3. iii.

By the time that Historia and her friends arrived to the house party, it was already in full swing. Music was audible from well beyond the inside of the house, echoing down the street and into the darkness of night. Cars lined both sides of the road and there were people scattered about all over the property and the surrounding area. Historia had never seen a party of this scale in her life. She thought that they were only like this in the movies. Although, it made a great deal of sense that such a large party could be held in a place like this. The impressive two story house was situated on a plot of privately owned land. It sat along a winding road that went on for several miles outside of town. Since there weren’t any neighbors in the immediate vicinity, the parties were to free to get as wild as the attendees saw fit.

Historia got out of Jean’s Jeep, followed by Connie and Sasha. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin pulled up right behind them. As the group filed out onto the street, Historia vibrated with excitement. The pounding bass carried an infectious energy with it, practically begging her to come inside and dance. Eren and Mikasa hefted two cases of cheap beer each as they headed in the direction of the house. Historia could hardly believe that they were here.

After going out for ice cream with Ymir, Historia had informed her friends just how wrong they’d been. She’d relayed what Ymir had told her before talking about how much fun she’d had with her that night. Her friends, seeing the error of their ways and noticing how happy she seemed to be interacting with Ymir, decided that they would make it up to her. When she told them about the invitation to the party, they agreed to attend. Historia had been thrilled ever since. Now that she was here, she felt like she might combust from excitement.

Everyone around her was having a good time. People were chatting, dancing, laughing, and drinking. There were so many new faces that she hadn’t seen before. If it were any other night, Historia may have believed them all to be new friends just waiting to be made. Tonight, though, she wasn’t looking to familiarize herself with the new faces. The only face that mattered in the sea of others was Ymir’s. Their little ice cream run had only increased Historia’s ardent desire to get closer to her. She had every intention of spending most of the night with the tall brunette, but first she needed to find her.

As Historia and her friends entered the house, they were met with loud music and a hazy entryway. Smoke produced by a mixture of marijuana, cigarettes, and hookah lingered through the various rooms on the first floor of the home. The house was practically overflowing with people, leaving limited space for movement. Eren and Mikasa wasted no time in fighting their way into the kitchen to drop off the cases of beer that they’d brought along. Armin followed suit to keep an eye on them, while Jean crossed his arms and looked to Historia.

“So, where’s your girlfriend?” He teased with a knowing grin.

Connie and Sasha snickered from beside him and Historia gave a roll of her eyes before responding, “I’m about to find out, don’t worry.”

Historia pulled out her phone and unlocked it, locating her text conversation with Ymir. It was funny how just accessing their messages caused her heart to skip a beat inside of her chest. Her fingers danced across the touch screen as she composed a text to the brunette.

**Krista - 9:42 PM**

Hi Ymir! I’m here! Where are you?

She locked her phone and waited patiently for Ymir’s reply, looking around the entryway of the home and taking in her surroundings. Jean looked relatively bored as he leaned against the doorway that led into the sizable living room. Connie and Sasha were far too busy making each other laugh to pay attention to anything happening around them. Historia was glad to see that they remained at total ease. Poor Jean existed in a state of general uptightness, though Historia figured a lot of it had to do with his role as a designated driver for the night. At the very least, he seemed fine with being the DD alongside Mikasa, who had also volunteered to take on the duty.

“Heard from her yet?” Jean asked.

“I haven’t, but I’m sure she’ll get back to me soon.” Historia reassured him.

“Alright, well, we should probably try to meet up with Mikasa and Armin and the moron.” He suggested, “Wouldn’t want to lose them. There are a lot of people here.”

“Good idea!” Historia agreed.

“C’mon, you two.” Jean said to Connie and Sasha, who were basically performing some sort of strange dance to the music that blared through the house.

The pair nodded and trailed behind Historia and Jean as they headed in the direction that Eren, Mikasa, and Armin had disappeared in. It was rather hot and stuffy the deeper that they got into the house. Historia was relieved to see that they were approaching the kitchen, which featured a door to the back of the house that had conveniently been left open to allow a bit of air to flow in from outside. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin were all hanging around the kitchen and taking in the more breathable air. Eren had already cracked open one of the beers and was working on it as he noticed Historia and the rest of the group approaching.

“This place is packed!” Eren laughed, “Any idea where Ymir and her friends are?”

“Let me see if she’s texted me back,” Historia said as she unlocked her phone again.

There were no new texts from Ymir. Was she okay? Historia wondered if maybe she wasn’t even here yet. She hadn’t said what time she would be arriving, just that she would meet Historia there. The gears in the blonde’s head had started turning and wouldn’t quite stop. Historia locked her phone, her eyes widening as she felt a pair of arms snake around her waist and pull her backwards.

“There’s my Krista!” Ymir’s voice was louder and more boisterous than usual as she pulled Historia in toward her, squeezing her tight.

There was no stopping the blush that immediately rushed to Historia’s cheeks. Judging by her demeanor and the scent of her breath, Ymir was most definitely drunk. However, that didn’t change the fact that she had said what she’d said. Though Historia didn’t want to fixate on it, she knew that she’d inevitably end up reading too far into her words. At the very least, she got to enjoy being held in Ymir’s arms for a few moments before the brunette stood up straight and let her go.

“You all must be Krista’s friends, right?” Ymir asked before pointing a finger at Sasha, “Yeah, I remember that face… Sasha, that’s her name.”

Sasha looked puzzled. It wasn’t much of a surprise that she didn’t remember what had occurred in the bathroom at the nightclub. Historia couldn’t help but giggle at her friend’s confusion. Maybe someday she’d get around to telling her what had happened that night. Right now, though, her attention was fixed to Ymir and how effortlessly she interacted with her friends. A bit of it was likely to blame on the alcohol, but Historia liked the idea that Ymir would have gotten along this well with her friends regardless.

“I’m Eren,” The dark-haired boy was the first to introduce himself, extending a hand to Ymir.

She readily accepted, giving it a firm shake before releasing it and allowing Eren to drop it back at his side. He was smiling like a fool as Armin was the next to introduce himself.

“Armin Arlert,” He said simply, “It’s nice to meet you.”

Mikasa adjusted her scarf, meeting Ymir’s gaze as she spoke, “Mikasa.”

“I’m Jean Kirstein.” He told her, a sort of detached air about his words.

“My name’s Connie.” Came the last introduction.

Ymir was grinning as she took in all of the names before remarking, “I’ll do my best to remember, but no promises.”

“Where’re your friends?” Eren asked between sips of his beer.

“Ah, shit… Thought they were right behind me,” A throaty laugh followed Ymir’s words, “I’m sure they’ll turn up.”

As if on cue, Historia heard the familiar voice of Reiner, “Hey! Ymir!”

Reiner came into view as he shouldered past the other partygoers with Bertholdt, Annie, and Hitch in tow. It was interesting to see the two girls outside of the photos that she’d noticed them in. Annie was far shorter than Historia expected, which was saying something, as she only stood at a mere four feet and nine inches tall, herself. Hitch was taller, standing beside Annie with her hands clasped behind her back. She looked far friendlier than Annie did, though there was something in her eyes that suggested she was judging Historia and every one of her friends.

“There you guys are!” Ymir said as she threw an arm around Bertholdt’s shoulders.

“Oh! Krista’s here!” Reiner announced, a hint of surprise making itself known in the inflection of his voice, “Hey, Krista.”

“Hi, Reiner,” Historia replied with a smile, “It’s so good to see you again!”

“You too.” Came Reiner’s reply before Ymir stepped in front of him,

She gestured to the rest of the group, “This is Bertholdt, Annie, and Hitch. I think you guys’ll get along nicely.”

“Nice to meet you guys,” Eren said enthusiastically.

Ymir looked to the drink in his hands and scoffed, “Oh, no way. You brought this crap? Hand me a couple, will ya?”

He nodded and reached into the open box, retrieving two cans and tossing them over to Ymir. She caught each of them, cracking one open and extending it to Historia. The blonde accepted the drink and watched as Ymir opened hers up, pounding more than half of it down in a few gulps. She pulled the can away from her lips and wiped at her mouth with the back of her wrist, shaking her head thereafter.

“Jeez, this stuff tastes like piss.” She laughed.

Historia wasn’t exactly thrilled to be drinking the stuff, but she wasn’t going to admit that in front of Ymir. Instead, she raised the can to her lips and took a sip, forcing the mouthful of bitter liquid down her throat. Ymir snickered as she put an arm around Historia and pulled her in toward her side.

“You don’t have to drink it, sweetheart. I can get you something a little easier on the tastebuds. C’mere.”

Ymir took her free hand and led her out the back door, leaving both of their groups of friends to mingle with one another. Historia would have felt a bit bad about deserting her friends had she not been so focused on the feeling of Ymir’s hand holding her own. Her hand was so much bigger, so much warmer. Her fingers were long and soft, attached to calloused palms that made Historia’s hands feel tiny. Her cheeks were burning as Ymir stopped her in front of a collapsible table that was littered with bottles of various sorts and topped with a beverage dispenser.

The taller girl pulled a red plastic cup off of the stack in front of her and stuck it under the dispenser. Carefully balancing her beer can in her hand, she used the side of her palm to push the tab, filling the empty cup with a vibrant red liquid. Historia’s brows lifted slightly, her curiosity piqued as Ymir handed the drink off to her. She took the can from her hands and watched with clear eagerness as Historia took her first sip. To her surprise, it was actually _really_ good. It tasted like fruit punch. For a moment, she wondered if there was any alcohol in it at all.

“Good, huh?” Ymir asked.

Historia nodded, “Really good. What is it?”

“Jungle juice. Bertholdt makes it. That guy’s something else when it comes to drinks.”

“I like it! I’ll have to give him my compliments later,” She said.

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.” Ymir noted, “You wanna play some games? I feel like a few rounds of pong’ll get you caught up to me.”

“Sure,” Historia giggled, “How long have you been here?”

Ymir gave a small shrug as she swished the contents of the two cans about in her hand, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth before answering, “Got here with the boys around… Seven, maybe. Helped with setup, that sort of thing.”

“Oh, are you friends with the host?” Historia questioned.

“Sorta, yeah,” Ymir replied, bringing her first can to her lips and finishing it off.

She crushed it in her hand when she was finished, tossing it into a nearby bin before raising the second can to her lips. Historia couldn’t help but think about how Ymir so readily put her lips on the can that she had drunk from. Ymir seemed to notice that she was getting caught up in her thoughts and she nodded toward the house.

“Let’s go grab a couple of saps and start the games.”

Ymir took Historia’s hand and led her back into the house. This time, when they finally stopped at their destination, Ymir didn’t release her hand. Her thumb brushed lazily against the back of Historia’s palm as they stood in the kitchen. Both groups of their friends had remained where they’d left them, some mingling while others fixed themselves drinks. Ymir set her beer on the countertop and cleared her throat.

“Any of you guys think you could take Krista and I in a game of pong?” She asked with a shit-eating grin.

“Oh, I’ll destroy you guys!” Eren declared, whirling around to face them.

Reiner stepped up beside him and clapped a hand on the smaller boy’s shoulder, “I like this guy’s energy. We’ll take you two on.”

“Great,” Ymir said, “Follow me, then.”

“I gotta see this.” Connie snickered as he followed the group out to the backyard once more.

Soon enough, everyone had gathered in the backyard. Tables had been set up at the far end of the patio and Ymir wasted no time in claiming one of them. Bertholdt assisted Reiner and Ymir in getting the game prepared. They set up ten cups on either side of the table in a triangular formation and filled them halfway with beer. Historia sipped on her fruit-flavored drink until the game started, at which point she realized that perhaps she was in a bit over her head.

The game moved so quickly that Historia could barely keep up. Ymir and Reiner were old pros and Eren caught on fast. It didn’t help that their friends were surrounding the table and adding pressure by cheering them on or distracting them. While it was certainly stressful, it was pretty fun. Seeing the way that Ymir celebrated each ball that she sank into a cup was endlessly entertaining and watching Reiner get increasingly intoxicated was funnier than Historia anticipated. Of course, that might have been because she was _also_ getting more and more drunk as the rounds went by.

At one point, Ymir even poured the beer from a cup into Historia’s mouth for her while everyone surrounding them laughed. By the time they’d played a few games, Historia was the drunkest she’d ever been. Her vision was blurry and the inside of her head felt fuzzy. She couldn’t wipe the smile off of her face and just about everything she heard the others say made her giggle. The night began to dissolve into fragments, bits and pieces where Historia had limited knowledge of what was occurring around her.

The next thing she knew, she was inside the house again. Reiner was beside her at the kitchen counter as they filled up shot glasses for the entire group. Her hands weren’t as steady as she thought they’d be and she ended up spilling liquor across the countertop, which Reiner promptly cleaned up. They were outside once more and Eren was dragging her toward the beer pong table yet again. Historia played with him as her teammate, the pair of them decimating Sasha and Connie in what was practically a clean sweep. Things were calm for a while following the game as Historia sat on a foldable chair beside Mikasa, who gave her little sips of water every now and then.

After some recuperation, Historia found herself back in the kitchen with Sasha. The brunette was sifting through the cabinets in an attempt to scrounge up something to eat. Historia could only giggle as she watched her friend triumphantly hold a package of cookies above her head before Connie came in and yelled at her not to eat all the food in the house. Bertholdt even arrived with promises of ordering pizza as Sasha skillfully fended them off while stuffing cookie after cookie into her mouth, launching Historia into a fit of laughter.

Deciding it was useless to continue trying to corral Sasha, Connie rounded up Jean and Historia for a bit of dancing. He pulled them into the crowd of moving bodies occupying the first level of the house and Historia allowed herself to get lost in the music. The pounding bass and the contagious zeal of those around her was every bit as intoxicating as the drinks she’d consumed throughout the night. The tiny blonde swayed her hips enthusiastically alongside her friends as she allowed the rhythm to carry her through song after song.

Somewhere along the way, Ymir came and joined them. With the help of her liquid courage, Historia was able to cut far looser than she ever had before. The hot and heavy atmosphere that the music encouraged certainly had an impact on Historia and Ymir alike. The blonde felt that she couldn’t keep her hands off of the brunette, wrapping them around her neck and trying to focus on her eyes. Their bodies were pressed flush against one another’s multiple times, filling Historia with a warm and fuzzy sensation that definitely was not brought on by alcohol alone.

Historia didn’t know how long they danced together. The only thing that remained at the forefront of her mind was her intense attraction to Ymir and how it had somehow grown stronger over the course of the night. Having her body so close to Ymir’s and feeling her hands all over her was nothing short of heavenly. Though she wanted to spend the entire night like that, it wasn’t feasible. Eventually, they needed a break, and Historia found herself sitting atop Ymir’s lap on the couch in the den. Her arms were wrapped snugly around Historia’s waist and Historia had draped her arm around Ymir’s shoulders, her fingers tracing lazy patterns against Ymir’s bicep.

Ymir rested her cheek against Historia’s shoulder and spoke in a low voice, “I’m really glad you came tonight.”

“I’m glad you invited me. This has been a really fun night.” Historia responded with a smile.

“Good,” Ymir said, “Think you can still hang? It’s not over yet.”

Historia hiccuped, “Definitely.”

In a mere fifteen minutes, Historia was unconscious on Ymir’s lap. With her head resting in the crook of the other girl’s neck, she was out like a light. The sleep that she entered was a dreamless one, one in which she could still hear the distant voices and noises surrounding her. It was rather light, but Historia was able to feel the way that her position had been shifted when Ymir rose from the couch and carried her away from the noise. For a long time, it was quiet. When Historia finallyopened her eyes again, she was lying in a bed that wasn’t her own in a room that was dark, save for a sliver of moonlight that peered in through a cracked door that led to a balcony.

Historia got off of the bed and walked over to the door to pull it open. She was instantly greeted by the scent of cigarette smoke and the sight of Ymir leaning against the railing at the opposite end of the deck. The astronomy major was somewhat slouched with her elbows sitting atop the fencing and a Newport between her lips. Seeing her bathed in the pale light of the moon was otherworldly. She looked like some sort of prince from a storybook, but if princes wore leather jackets and ripped jeans instead of shining armor.Historia got to her feet and Ymir turned to look at her, leaning backwards against the railing and smirking.

“Morning, sunshine.”

Historia smiled bashfully as she shuffled over to Ymir and replied, “I think I may have bitten off more than I could chew.”

“It happens,” Ymir stated reassuringly, “I can’t complain. It isn’t every night that you get to have the prettiest girl at the party curled up in your lap.”

A red hot blush made itself known in Historia’s cheeks as she leaned against the railing beside Ymir. She wasn’t sure what to say or what to do. How was she supposed to respond to such a forward statement? Her mouth was suddenly very dry and her hands were somewhat sweaty as they gripped the banister. Historia couldn’t bring herself to look to Ymir, though she could undoubtedly feel the taller girl’s eyes on her face. The corners of her lips were tugged upward into a small smile as she took a long drag off of her cigarette. Ymir released the smoke into the open air and Historia watched it dance into the darkness, fading every bit as quickly as it had arrived.

She could feel Ymir’s gaze threatening to burn holes into the side of her face. The butterflies in her stomach wouldn’t stop fluttering, challenging her ability to maintain her composure. Historia felt like she could melt then and there. Under Ymir’s gaze, it was difficult for her not to be reduced to a tiny puddle. The blonde was sure that she was about to bend when a familiar song began to play over the speakers in the house, carrying almost crystal clear up to the balcony. Historia’s eyes widened as she realized where she recognized the song from, which had a shockingly different tempo than any of the other songs that had been played throughout the night.

“I know this song!” Historia announced excitedly.

Ymir chuckled as she flicked the remainder of her cigarette over the edge of the railing, “You do? This is a little slow to be a party song.”

“They played this song at my senior prom.” She recalled as she began to slowly sway to the music.

“Oh, yeah?”

“Mmhmm,” Historia hummed, “It was such a fun night—not as fun as this one, of course! But still really fun!”

“I never went to prom.” Ymir admitted nonchalantly, though there was a hint of timidity behind the casual delivery of her words.

Historia found herself rather surprised. Someone as effortlessly cool as Ymir had skipped out on something as monumental (in high school, anyway) as prom? The fact that she hadn’t gotten all gussied up and gone out dancing was a real shock to Historia. From what she knew of Ymir, it seemed like the sort of thing that would be right up her alley. Historia couldn’t help but wonder why she hadn’t gotten to go to such an event. Maybe it was bad grades or maybe it really was just a lack of interest. Either way, Historia figured it wouldn’t hurt to give her a little taste of what the experience was like. After all, Ymir had provided her with her first taste of a real college party.

She extended a hand to Ymir and gave her a cheeky grin, “May I have this dance?”

For a moment, Historia worried that Ymir thought she was completely ridiculous. She figured that the brunette might just outright deny her invitation to dance judging by the look on her face. Her eyes were somewhat narrowed and her lips formed a straight line, showcasing her lack of excitement clear as day. However, she reached out and took Historia’s hand, allowing the smaller girl to lead her into the middle of the deck. Once there, she guided Ymir’s hands to her hips and wrapped her arms around her neck, looking up at her as she began to step in time with the music.

The first time that Historia had heard this song, she had watched all of the couples at her high school dance together from her place at the back of the banquet hall. At that moment, it hadn’t been ideal. Historia remembered feeling a profound sense of longing, one that had lingered far after the song had stopped playing. Now, though, as she slow danced with Ymir and gazed at her face, Historia was glad that she hadn’t gotten to dance with her peers at her high school prom. Getting to have her first slow dance with Ymir was _far_ better than anything that a silly high school event could have offered her.

Historia stepped closer to Ymir, resting her head against her chest as they moved together. Ymir’s hands moved to the small of her back, holding her comfortably to her own body. The blonde closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose. Ymir’s scent was already growing familiar, providing her with a comfort she’d never known she’d needed until now. It was in that moment that Historia realized that she was standing on the edge of a bottomless cliff, teetering on the brink of falling head over heels for Ymir.

One of Ymir’s hands snaked upward, her palm coming to rest against Historia’s face as she tilted her head up. Historia’s vibrant blue eyes found Ymir’s dark brown ones and the pair didn’t even recognize that they had both stopped moving. They were completely and utterly still as the song drew to a close, eyes still riveted to each other’s own. Ymir’s expression was unreadable, every bit as enigmatic as the dark-haired girl always presented herself to be. Historia couldn’t ignore the pull between them, though, no matter how hard Ymir tried to mask it.

Pushing herself up onto the tips of her toes, Historia slid one hand up the back of Ymir’s neck and drew her forward, capturing her lips in a kiss that was far more fervent than it had any right to be. Ymir melted into the kiss instantly, cupping the side of Historia’s face and matching her assertion without an ounce of hesitation. Her lips weren’t the softest, but they were sweet and warm and inviting. Historia wanted nothing more than to remain this way for the rest of the night; Fingers tangled in Ymir’s short locks, tongue brushing against her lips, teeth gently nipping back at her own.

Historia pulled away to drink in a breath of air, unable to stop herself from telling Ymir, “I think I’m going to fall in love with you.”

Ymir, still holding the side of Historia’s face, appeared to process that information for a second. Instead of smiling or lighting up, she looked back at Historia with a steely gaze. Historia could feel the beginnings of anxiety creeping through her body before the corners of Ymir’s lips turned ever-so-slightly upward.

“Don’t worry about it.” She murmured before pressing her lips against Historia’s own once more.


End file.
